by Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports

NASCAR's most popular driver said it was "impressive" how easily fans and media were able to figure out what teams like Michael Waltrip Racing - and possibly Front Row Motorsports - were doing to manipulate Saturday night's Richmond race.

MWR was fined $300,000 and and each of its three drivers were penalized 50 points after NASCAR said it fixed the outcome of the final regular season race, which sets NASCAR's playoff field.

Officials are also looking into suspicious radio chatter from Front Row's David Gilliland, in which he was told to give up a spot to Penske Racing's Joey Logano.

"I think those spotters and crew chiefs and some drivers don't realize in the heat of the moment how accessible all this information is," Earnhardt said Thursday during Chase Media Day in Chicago. "No matter how much you think you can camouflage this - (all) smoke and mirrors - the media or fans can connect the dots."

Earnhardt, a self-described "NASCAR fan boy," said he was sad to see the sport's image take a hit and talked at length about the fallout from Richmond.

Earnhardt said he read about the penalties and thought, "What the hell?" when he realized Bowyer's points deduction did not affect his Chase standing. The 50-point penalty was only applied to Bowyer's points total before it was reset for the playoffs.

"I need to sit down and really think of why (NASCAR) chose to do it that way and see the logic behind it," Earnhardt said.

Still, he said, at least some message was sent.

"If you do it again, I think you're asking for it," he added.

Earnhardt said he not only felt bad for NASCAR officials having to make a tough decision, but felt for friend Martin Truex Jr., who was bumped from the Chase as a result of the penalties, and teammate Jeff Gordon, who missed the Chase after Bowyer spun.

Earnhardt even felt sympathy for Bowyer, he said, because "I know what kind of person he is."

"I feel bad for him because he is part of something that is not a good reflection of his personality," he said.

Past incidents - like when Paul Menard spun at Richmond and Bowyer spun at Bristol last season - led Earnhardt to believe NASCAR would not act this time. He was surprised at the major reaction both inside and outside the sport.

"It's not new," he said. "It's not like, 'Oh my God, what's happening to the sport? The sky is falling.' I didn't think it was that big a deal because it's been done before."

Like other drivers, Earnhardt called for NASCAR to step up its officiating in situations like Richmond. Even though NASCAR officials have said they want to leave rules in the drivers' hands - such as when drivers control the restarts - Earnhardt said the concept is "probably not very smart."

"We're going to try to work in that gray area," he said. "NASCAR's job is to patch those gray areas up and make them black and white, and we'll find the next gray area. We'll keep doing it and doing it, and that's the way it's going to go."